Is it possible to do the Fringe for less than £10 a day? We got our team on the case to see if it can be done.
One of the great things about the Fringe is you can pick and choose what to see, setting your own budget. But we wanted to put this to the test to see if we could make a great itinerary for less than £10 a day! Here we start with the first weekend of the festival and an example of the sort of activity you could get up to.
Day 1
Morning
Kick off the festival with a trip to Art_House_Life, a residential house at 35 Madeira Road which each year is completely transformed into an amazing pop up gallery space. This time they are opening 2 floors showcasing recent paintings, collages, assemblages, drawings & 3D artworks by Albedo Marz being displayed exclusively for Ventnor Fringe! Entry is free but you need to book here.
Afternoon
Continue the art trail with a trip past the Ventnor Giant (A three story mural created for the Fringe back in 2018) to Better Days Caffe to check out the Operation Geranium Exhibition. Then it’s down to the seafront to watch Taroo – a free performance by Moroccan circus performer Said Mouhssine – a free runner, stage director, actor and stuntman who has created a special performance which will take place on Ventnor Esplanade to start the festival off!
Evening
Head out to the Fringe Village at Ventnor Park to see the amazing Flamingods in The Big Top! Definitely a party band that will appeal to fans of Tame Impala, Los Bitchos or King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. It’s a ‘pay what you want’ ticket price from as little as £5. We expect we won’t want the night to end so we’re budgeting to stay on for the Silent Disco afterwards! Tickets cost £3 available on the door.
Running total at the end of Day 1: £8
Day 2
Morning
Grab a cup of tea from Ventnor Exchange (£1!) then head over the road to the new Fringe Square, listen to some buskers and check for any bargains to be found at The Maker’s Market in St Catherine’s Church. Be sure to spend some time soaking up the atmosphere at The Book Bus, a beautiful 1930’s Parisian bus transformed into a book shop and quiet space to read and relax.
Afternoon
Take a stroll down to the Fringe Village in Ventnor Park and listen to some more music on The Bandstand, play some games or take part in a free circus workshop outside The Magpie at 3.30pm.
Evening
Treat yourself to a show! There’s loads to choose from but we’ve opted for ‘The Big Fringe Variety Show‘ which offers a mixed bill with a range of cabaret and burlesque acts from across the festival, hosted by breakout star of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Season 2 Ginny Lemon. Ticket £15 with no booking fees!
Running total at the end of Day 2: £24 (including a cup of tea!)
Day 3
Morning
Check out Ventnor’s newest creative space Peer Studios where prolific Island artist Jo Hummel who has brought together 8 contemporary British Artists in a special exhibition called ‘Wish You Were Here’ with different responses to the iconic Great British seaside holiday.
Afternoon
Pop into Ventnor Arts Club where ‘VENT’ will be hosting free authors talks everyday. On Sunday at noon the guests include Canadian novelist Harold Rhenisch and German poet Petra Hilgers.
If that sounds too heavy head up to the Fringe Village for free workshops and events running throughout the day.
Evening
It’s back to the Big Top for The Sunday Shindig, headlined by barn-stomping Bristolians Ushti Baba. Promising riotous folk fusing hypnotic pan-European melodies with modern dance rhythms it looks set to be a very fun night! It’s another ‘Pay What You Can’ show with tickets from £5. Bargain!
Grand Total spent over three days: £29
Tips For Keeping Costs Down
1.) £2 Bus Fares
Bus prices are currently capped at £2 per journey, so save yourself the fuel and parking costs and head to Ventnor on the bus.
2.) Pay What You Can Shows
Look out for a range of ‘Pay What You Can’ shows where you can choose your ticket price based on what you can afford. Most offer tickets from as little as £5. We highlighted some of the best to look out for here.
3.) Invest in a Culture Pass
If you’re planning to see a lot of shows and you’re good at booking in advance, it might be worth investing in a Culture Pass which costs £29.99 and gets you access to loads of ‘2for1’ deals.
4.) Bring your friends along!
Many shows offer discounts for groups, so bring your family or friends along with you and make some big savings.
5.) Free Fringe
Grab a copy of the Fringe Review paper from Ventnor Exchange or any of the main venues for daily listings of the free events taking place around the festival. There is live music performances in the Fringe Village and Fringe Square everyday.
